San Francisco 49ers vs. Tampa Bay Bucs, 9/6/19 Week 1 Predictions

Jimmy Garoppolo makes his return for the 49ers on Sunday when they visit the Bucs at 4:25 p.m. ET in both teams’ season-opener. Even though Garoppolo looked shaky in preseason, will these two teams light up the scoreboard in Week 1?

Game Snapshot

461 San Francisco 49ers (+1) at 462 Tampa Bay Bucs (-1); O/U 50.5

4:25 p.m. ET, Sunday, September 8, 2019

Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, FL

Public Betting Trends

According to our NFL Football Public Betting Chart page, the Bucs are receiving 55% of the betting tickets from online sportsbooks.

San Francisco 49ers Fantasy Spin

49ers DC Robert Saleh expects DE Nick Bosa (ankle) to suit up for Week 1 against the Buccaneers. “He’s going,” said Saleh. “He should be.” Bosa missed most of the summer with a bum ankle but resumed practicing Monday and should be all systems go for Sunday’s opener in Tampa. The No. 2 pick will look to put heat on Jameis Winston in a game that has shootout written all over it.

Tampa Bay Bucs Fantasy Spin

Buccaneers placed DE Jason Pierre-Paul on the reserve/NFI list. The NFI designation will cost him at least the first six games of the regular season. This was widely expected following Pierre-Paul’s offseason car wreck, which left him with a broken neck. JPP has resumed some rehab work but still hasn’t been cleared for weight lifting or conditioning drills. Early estimates suggest the veteran pass-rusher won’t be ready until November at the earliest.

NFL Betting Trends

San Francisco

The over is 4-1 in the 49ers’ last five games played in September and is 5-2 in their last seven road games.

Tampa Bay

The under is 5-1 in the Bucs’ last six home games and is 5-1 in their last six games overall.

Prediction

New head coach and play-caller Bruce Arians is unlikely to “fix” Jamies Winston, but that’s not to say that the former No. 1 overall pick doesn’t have talent. He’s always had a strong arm, a high football IQ and the ability to read coverages on the fly. Turnovers, however, have been the issue and will likely continue to be a problem for Winston under Arians. Still, big plays will be a focal point in Arians’ offense and Winston’s penchant for throwing vertically should lead to plenty of scoring on Sunday. The Niners have a talented defense but it’ll take some time for the unit to gel. Garoppolo, meanwhile, struggled in preseason but the Bucs pass defense remains a weak spot so Kyle Shanahan should be able to move his offense at will.